Thaksin & earthquake in Burma

The lions and the dragons guarding the front of the Burmese Buddhist Temple, Singapore

Thai PM Thaksin makes surprise trip to Myanmar
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra made a surprise one-day visit to military-ruled Myanmar's new jungle capital on Wednesday to see junta supremo Than Shwe.

Thaksin is the most important foreign leader to make the trip to Naypyitaw, an administrative town around 400 km north of Yangon, which Myanmar's military rulers announced to the world in late 2005.

It was not immediately clear why Thaksin visited Thailand's internationally reviled neighbour, which was hauled over the coals at a southeast Asian foreign ministers' meeting last week in Malaysia for failing to move towards democracy.

5.2 magnitude quake shakes Myanmar, no casualties reported

A 5.2 magnitude earthquake shook central Myanmar on Wednesday, but no damage or casualties were reported, according to the meteorology department in neighboring Thailand.

The earthquake occurred at 5:11 p.m. Myanmar time (1041GMT), said a statement of Thailand's meteorological department.

Thailand was not affected by the temblor, it said.

The quake occurred 220 kilometers (135 miles) northwest of Yangon, a Thai meteorological official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

Officials in Myanmar were not immediately available for comment